


It Was Supposed to Be Routine

by spanano



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Nick thinks he's a hero sometimes, but instead he winds up worrying judy, lions are mean in this :c, sorry simba don't mean to wump on your lion-hood, what a nerd. Nick I'm tsking at you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 09:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6900100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spanano/pseuds/spanano
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be a routine dealing with a perpetrator. Only it was raining. And Judy was coming to realise that she really didn't like rain, and at this very moment, she didn't exactly like lions, either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Was Supposed to Be Routine

**Author's Note:**

> So this isn't beta'd.... and I wrote it at like 1:30 in the morning. And English and I aren't friends usually, so forgive me on that. But please enjoy (:

It was routine. And it was raining. And it was dark. Judy felt she had a lot to grumble about, but what she truly wanted to grumble about was the situation that she and her partner, Officer Nicholas P. Wilde found themselves in.

It wasn’t ideal. In the slightest. And it was still raining and Judy hated the feeling of her wet fur against her uniform.

Usually only armed with tranquilliser, the fox and bunny hadn’t expected the perp they were sent to apprehend to have an actual gun on him. They were very much outmatched at the moment and Judy had called for back up what seemed like ages ago.

" _Stupid!_ " Judy had thought to herself when they first noticed the gun in the lion’s hand. Judy had known that this week was going too easily for the, but this is not what she wanted when she had told Nick that she wanted some excitement to their work.

Nick had laughed and ruffled her fur, telling her to be patient.

Now they were staring down the barrel of a gun and Judy was begging for that simplicity and boring routine again. Her ears perked when Judy heard Nick attempting to reason with the lion and she just knew that wasn’t going to end well, the perp was far too agitated.

“Look,” Nick spoke up. “I know...you’re frustrated...but, man, let’s just talk this out.” The lion’s hands were shaking, Nick noted, green eyes shooting back up to the lion’s face.

Shaking his head the lion lifted his gun and held it a bit more steady. “Don’t come near me man--”

Nick paused his steps, holding his hands up as a sign of peace. “Alright. I’ll stay here. Now, why don’t you put down the gun.” He hadn’t noticed Judy sneaking around behind the lion to apprehend him from behind. And if he had, he would’ve hissed at her to hold off.

A little too late. The lion caught Judy moving and roared loudly, pivoting himself and aiming the gun at Judy. “I said not to move!” he roared, hands trembling, finger on the trigger.

Shit. _Shit_. Nick didn’t even think. Next thing he knew he was diving in front of Judy and felt the bite of a series of ill-aimed bullets breaking his skin and fur. Well this was going to be something to write home about. Yes, mom, I saved my partner’s life from a mentally unstable lion whom I almost had calmed down.

Judy’s screams broke Nick’s internal reverie and he grunted as he hit the ground, a grimace crossing his face. He felt the blood beginning to pool around him, vision going blurry.

Fun. This was fun. It was just then the sirens from the back up called forever ago was heard and Judy was yelling into her radio for Clawhauser and dispatch to send an ambulance and, “ _dammit, Officer Wilde is down!_ ”

Fangmeyer and Bogo along with a few others came to her aid not too much longer after the call was made; Judy knelt by Nick’s side, the lion being easily dealt with and gun kicked away, Fangmeyer bagging it for evidence. Judy didn’t seem to notice to reassuring paws to her shoulders. She didn’t even notice when the paramedics nudged her aside gently to work on Nick, the lion being loaded into Bogo’s police cruiser.

“Do you want to ride with him?” The paramedic had spoken up and Judy hadn't noticed. She was too preoccupied with Nicholas and his condition. There was so much blood, his chest was rising and falling with shaky breaths and it all scared Judy more than she'd ever care to admit.

“Huh?” Judy glanced up, wiping her paw across her face to rid herself of tears. “O-Oh, yes--”

The paramedic who had spoken simply smiled and made a gesture for Nick to be loaded Nick into the ambulance, Judy, uniform stained in his blood, clamouring in afterwards.

Five hours she and half of precinct one waited in the waiting room whilst Office Wilde was in surgery. But Judy and the rest perked up when they heard the kind voice of a leopard, exiting the OR.

“Six bullet wounds, that lion unloaded the entire clip” The doctor said as he wiped his hands. “He’s resting in the ICU, but is stable-- I--”

Judy instantly cut him off. “I need to see him.”

“Hopps--” Bogo began to intervene, the bunny only to cut him off as well.

“Please...I need to see him.” The doctor nodded and conceded, gesturing for Judy to come with him. It was a mostly silent walk to Nick’s room in the ICU. The doctor had explained the extent of Nick’s injuries, that he hadn’t woken up yet and for Judy to be careful.

Judy had only nodded numbly when her eyes fell on Nick’s still form, chest rising and falling with the help of a breathing mask over his muzzle. Silently, she moved forward, climbing into the chair beside his bed and taking his paw. “Nicholas...” Judy murmured, gripping his paw tightly. “I’m so sorry-- if I just had stayed put--”

She sniffled, tears starting to slide down her cheeks. “Nick, I’m so sorry... you...you saved my life...and now you’re lying here and I’m so sorry so sorry...” Judy rested her head on Nick’s paw that was clenched tightly in her’s, shoulders shaking slightly. She wasn't sure what else she could do other than watch the sleeping Nick. Was it really sleeping or was that just something Judy was saying to make herself feel better? By this point, she wasn't sure.   
  
Exhaling out, Judy scooched her chair closer toward's Nick's bed, tugging the blanket that had been given to her by one of the nurses who-even-know's-when closer around her shoulders to stave off the chill that threatened her. Before she knew, Judy was fast asleep, her head resting right beside Nick's paw that she still held clenched tightly in her own.   
  
Judy was awoken by the bright sun streaming through the windows, the bunny squinting against the harsh light. How long had she been asleep? Clearly, she wasn't refreshed in the slightest. Sighing, Judy straightened herself up, glancing over towards the clock in the corner. 11 am. She had slept far too long, but clearly wasn't needed since her phone hadn't gone off save for text messages from Bogo and others at Precinct One letting her know to take her time and that they hoped she and Nick were well. She could only hope. 

Biting her lip, Judy looked over towards Nick, his green eyes still closed, short, shaky breaths still fogging up the breathing mask that had been placed over his muzzle. Without thinking, Judy sniffled, leaning forward to press a kiss to Nick's cheek. "I'm so sorry..." She murmured, shoulders stiff with emotion. She wasn't sure where to even start. Another sniffle and Judy wiped her paw against her eyes, gripping Nick's own paw again. "Everyone at the precinct keeps telling me it's not my fault...but..." She hiccuped, light tears turning to more of choked sobs. "But, Nick...you're here and I...it's all my fault-- I can't even begin to--" 

“...You...bunnies...so emotional...”

Instantly, a furry of white and grey fur jolted up from how Judy had hung her head, her eyes wide. “N-Nick...”

Half lidded eyes, and tired looking, Nick simply smiled at Judy; nudging the O2 mask off of his face. “Hi...Carrots...”

“Nick....” Judy murmured, “You dumb fox...jumping in front to...take those bullets for me...”

“S’cause...” Nick paused, taking a sharp breath. “S’cause I love you, Carrots...” He simply offered a tired smile, paw closing tightly around Judy’s in response to her grip. “And...not...” An odd gesture from his free paw. “Not...more than friends, Judy.”

Judy’s eyes widened and she stared at Nick, mouth agape before it curled into a smile and she hopped over the bed railing, nestling into Nick’s uninjured side, burying her face against his neck. “And I love you...dumb fox.”

Sighing, Nick wrapped a loose arm around Judy, drawing her in as much as was comfortable for him. “Relax...I’m gonna be fine.” Judy had already begun to drift off.

Bogo and Clawhauser, whom were about to poke their heads in for the morning to see how Nick was and if he was even awake, only to simply smiled and turned away. “You owe me fifty, Chief!” Clawhauser chirped, earning a begrudging groan from the Chief of Police as he fished for a 50 from his wallet. Looks like the bet in the office had finally been won. It was about time. 


End file.
